The Oregon State Bar recently announced Courtney N. Moran, LL.M. as the second-ever recipient of the Leland R. Berger Lifetime Achievement Award!
The Oregon State Bar Cannabis and Psychedelics Law Section Leland R. Berger Lifetime Achievement Award was established in 2018 to recognize Lee Berger for his contributions and trailblazing in cannabis law. It is the highest recognition that the section bestows on one of its members, and Courtney Moran is the first woman and only the second individual to receive the award.
"The [Lifetime Achievement] award is granted to the candidate whom the executive committee believes to best personify the Bar Statement of Professionalism, has made significant contributions to the practice of Cannabis law, and best serves as a role model for other lawyers. Factors considered are reputation, conduct, leadership, activities, and service to the bar — nationally or the community in general — and pro-bono service. The candidate's accomplishments must fall in the cannabis field. This is not meant to be an annual award. It is meant to be an award which is given only when someone has the criteria and the standards to be worthy of that award and that's why I believe it is such a cherished and fine honor.
~ John Magliana, former Executive Committee Chair
Receiving the award at only 38 years old is a testament to the immense impact that Courtney has had on shaping state and federal agricultural hemp laws and regulations and winning landmark legal victories in such a "compressed" amount of time, as Lee states at the award ceremony.
"Courtney, like Lee, is a trailblazer in her own right. She is a fearless advocate who has championed numerous hemp-related laws across the United States, including at the federal level where she drafted and negotiated the Hemp Farming Act of 2018."
~ Oregon State Bar
Lee passed the torch of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Courtney in a heartwarming and emotional speech that exhibited the friendship and collegiality among members of the Law Section.
"Courtney has published a law review article on hemp, she helped legalize hemp in five states, she's passed hemp-related bills, I mean in addition to being a lawyer, Courtney is an accomplished lobbyist where she's worked on 12 bills in seven states and the United States Congress—and when I say the United States Congress I mean the senior Senator from the state of Oregon Ron Wyden on record says that there wouldn't be a Farm Bill with hemp in it if it wasn't for Courtney. So when I refer to her as the 'Hemp Goddess' it's not just because she's written the statutes and the rules here [in Oregon], not just because she has an encyclopedic knowledge of hemp...she still works toward those goals that Jack Herer pointed out in his book The Emperor Wears No Clothes."
~Leland R. Berger
(A few of) Courtney N. Moran's Lifetime Achievements:
As Founding Principal of EARTH Law, LLC:
Courtney successfully litigated the landmark cases KaB, LLC v. USPIS (2018) and RNF, LLC v. USPIS, MLB 18-113 (2018) establishing the precedent for the shipment of hemp, specifically hemp-derived CBD and viable hemp seeds, through the US Postal Service.
In 2013, Courtney served as co-counsel with attorney Leland R. Berger in appealing a county court’s decision on behalf of their medical patient client. The State of Oregon conceded in State v. Ellis, 260 OR App 174 (2013), that hashish is medical marijuana.
In 2016, Courtney with conservationist Andy Kerr, filed a formal rulemaking petition, The Relegalizing Industrial Hemp Project, with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to remove hemp from the Controlled Substances Act.
In 2022, Courtney won a hemp-derived delta-8 seizure case, upholding the protections of the 2018 Farm Bill for the transportation and shipment of hemp and hemp-derived products.
In 2023, she successfully
executed Corrective Action Plans for clients avoiding program violations and fines for issues with required licensing and testing;
secured a release of a Detainment Order for a hemp crop testing above 0.3% total THC; and attained an update to Oregon Hemp Program rules on resampling and retesting crops with not more than 1% total THC;
negotiated a Stipulated Settlement Agreement for a client's licensing and production violation, resulting in only a minor fine, while protecting the client's ability to sell their harvest lot and continue future licensing.
In 2024, working as expert co-counsel with Leland R. Berger as lead criminal defense counsel, obtained a case dismissal for felony charges of unlawful export and unlawful distribution of hemp-derived THCA concentrate.
As an Adjunct Law Professor and educator:
In Fall 2021, Courtney joined the Oaksterdam University Faculty teaching Business of Cannabis: Hemp and CBD. She continues to teach this and other courses at Oaksterdam University.
In Spring 2022, she joined the Lewis and Clark Law School Faculty as an adjunct law professor teaching the first Hemp Law & Policy course in the U.S. Courtney inspires her students to make a difference and encourages their ability to cultivate change.
She guest lectures for numerous law school and university-level courses around the country.
As President and Lobbyist for the 501(c)(5) non-profit Oregon Industrial Hemp Farmers Association (OIHFA)/ Oregon Hemp Association (ORHA):
As Chief Legislative Strategist for Agricultural Hemp Solutions, LLC:
In expertly championing forward-thinking policy for hemp agribusiness success, Courtney co-authored the federal Industrial Hemp Act of 2023 (S. 980, H.R. 3755), which is included in the House 2024 Farm Bill, and continues to lead efforts to reduce regulatory barriers for grain and fiber farmers, support industrial hemp supply chain growth, and expand industrial hemp grain and fiber market opportunities.
Courtney strategically guided the initial implementation of hemp programs, legalizing the production of hemp in South Carolina, Wisconsin, Alaska, and Missouri.
In 2021, she led the passage of HB 396 in Montana, authorizing hemp food ingredients as commercial animal feed, and opening markets for hemp grain, fiber, and whole plant products.
In 2024, on behalf of private clients, she coordinated the inclusion of pro-hemp provisions in Oregon HB 4121 that gave the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission the authority to set standards for the sale of artificially derived cannabinoids in the general market and added interstate commerce protections for Oregon program licensees.
As a pro-hemp policy expert and attorney:
In 2023, Courtney joined the National Hemp Association Board of Directors as Legislative Counsel and also joined the Global Hemp Innovation Center Advisory Board.
She continues to serve on the Oregon State Bar Cannabis and Psychedelics Law Section Executive Committee, the National Hemp Association Standing Committee of Hemp Organizations, the national NORML Board of Directors Emeritus Board, and the International Cannabis Bar Association Advisory Board.
"[I] realized that my independent action every single day is the only thing that's going to make a difference. Every single one of us, we have so much power. We can't expect someone else to go and do what we want to see. We have to be the change that we want to see."
~Courtney N. Moran, LL.M.
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